By attending summer camp, your child can have exposure to the following:

1. Education – No, going to summer camp is not like sitting in a school classroom all day. That said your child should come home from camp having learned many things. The new skills they pick up can not only help them when they do go back to school, but also down the road. From technology to the sciences and more, your kid will have benefited from their time in camp.

2. Activities – While education is important in camp, you want your kid to have fun while learning. Most summer camps have a wide range of activities for children to partake in. From swimming to sports and more, fun is not in short supply when your child is away at camp.

3. Bonding – If your child is a tad on the shy side, summer camp can be the right thing to bring out the young man or woman in them. As your child meets and makes new friends, he or she may very well carry over those relationships past camp. Before you know it, your child has a whole new list of friends to talk to over the phone and online.

4. Mentors – In the event your child does not always listen to what you or your partner has to say, you are not alone. Other parents know that they have trouble at times connecting with their kids. By being in camp, your son or daughter is around adults who may connect with them for the short time they are there. Although camp staff can never replace the role you play, they could open your child up a little bit more. After a camp experience, it may dawn on your kids how hard you work for them and care about their well-being.

5. Memories – For some kids, they can’t wait until the last day of school and their summer break. For others, they get a little sad knowing they will not see some of their friends until school rolls around. By going to summer camp, your child can create a lifetime of memories he or she will treasure. Along with learning that comes from this experience, camp can provide great laughter.

If summer camp sounds like a good idea for your son or daughter, start the planning now.

There’s a good chance your child will return from camp happy and thankful you sent them there in the first place.